But it sounds as if any choices Collins and the Mets may be forced to make then will be about how to get Kirk Nieuwenhuis playing time because Bay, who was finally cleared by doctors Tuesday to resume baseball activities after bruising his ribs April 23, is getting his left-field job back when he returns.

"Absolutely," Collins said Tuesday. "He didn't come here to be an extra player."

But, because Nieuwenhuis has been so impressive, it also sounds as if the Mets have to find a spot for him, too.

"We're still looking at, probably, 10 days or two weeks (until Bay returns)," Collins said. "So many things might happen. When it gets close to the date, I'll start to take a look at what our situation might be. But right now, I just want to get him back. He's still a big part of this. I think you see, when we face lefthanded pitching, what a big hole we have in the middle of our lineup without him."

Nieuwenhuis, 24, has had his raw moments, but has delivered solid numbers. As Collins put it, "I think he knows he belongs here now."

Nieuwenhuis entered Tuesday's game leading all major-league rookies with a .302 batting average and was second with 35 hits. His 14 walks were also the most by any rookie, and he had a .379 on-base percentage and .422 slugging percentage.

He has adapted to playing the corner outfield spots although he's been a center fielder in the minors and the longer he's been in the majors, the better his at-bats have become, Collins says.

Bay has been mostly a disappointment since signing a four-year, $66 million contract before the 2010 season and, at times, has been a target of fans' frustration at Citi Field. Bay is currently on the disabled list — his third stint there as a Met — but is going to Port St. Lucie this week to prepare for a return.

There is hope for him — in the nine games he played before going on the disabled list April 24, Bay had shrugged off a slow start, hitting .290 with a .353 on-base percentage and a .613 slugging percentage. He slugged all three of his homers in that span. Overall, Bay has a slash line of .240/.316/.460 and five RBI.

If Nieuwenhuis becomes a bench player, it might slow his long-term development. The best solution might be a suggestion by Larry Bowa, the former big-league manager who is now an analyst with the MLB Network.

"To start off, I'd probably platoon those guys," Bowa said in a telephone interview. "And then if you have a lead in the seventh inning, you could take (Lucas) Duda out of right field and put whoever didn't start out there for defense.

"Nieuwenhuis, if he's not going to play, they have to send him down. He's too young to sit."

But using Bay only against lefties and the lefthanded-hitting Nieuwenhuis against righties is not as easy as writing out a lineup card.

"The problem with guys like (Bay), is that you pay them that kind of money, so maybe it's harder to justify giving them a more limited role," a National League scout said. But, the scout added, "You have got to platoon him."

Ultimately, maybe the best thing that comes out of all this is that Nieuwenhuis has shown that he's got real potential. Maybe that's why Collins is grinning as he talks about his impending dilemma.

"If everybody's healthy, I don't know what'll happen, I really don't," Collins said. "Yeah, we'll have a dilemma, but it'll be a good one."